Get as close to your co-workers as possible

You work in a restaurant and take pride in the fact that tables request you by name. You're friends with everyone in the kitchen and enjoy shooting the breeze with the other waitresses. When things get too tough, you all go outside and chain smoke until, before you realize, you've been outside ignoring your responsibilities for almost a half-hour.

People like you and that feels good.

You tell embarrassing stories (like the one where you slept with your best friend's brother) and open up in a way that makes you feel empowered as a woman, and admit things about your sexuality that makes you feel free.

People laugh and share similar exchanges, and you never feel that judgemental glare or hear snide remarks when you talk about your nipple piercings.

You think you found your group of people.

And that's step one.

Be kind to those who need It

Maybe you appear more privileged than the others when you pull up in the car you bought yourself. The car with the driver's side door that doesn't work and with the faulty alarm. Maybe you got tired of being consistently treated like garbage, and, to the point, where you feel the need to personally exude all the kindness that the world has lost. You sit and act like a psychiatrist, listening to everyone spout emotions from their personal lives, and you feel some sort of self-importance knowing that you're helping these people feel better.

So, you bring the boy who has no car home, and you learn things about him that you had not planned. The boy is young and impressionable, and you find yourself playing the role of "big sister."

You listen to him question his sexuality and you're there when his parents refuse to pick him up. You're transported back into the days of high school, but this time there is a familiarity there that is comforting.

You shut down romantic advances and remain calm and collected when feelings are blurted out. You are an adult in an adult world that this child has not yet begun to fathom, and you allow your naivety to take reign.

You trust too easily, and you forgive others far too much. Almost as if you're compensating for something.

Refuse to listen to gossip

There's a different air whenever you walk in to work the next shift, and it seems to be that you're the only one who really notices it.

There are laughter and excitement, which isn't unusual, but then you move closer and see that the joke is something you are completely left out of. They are laughing at you. The familiar sneaky whispers seem all too familiar when you realize they are being directed towards you.

Your naivety has rendered you helpless whenever you're faced with the realization that someone has slandered you. In an argument that is his word vs. yours, how exactly are you supposed to win?

Frantic speeches about integrity and the nature of the real relationship turn into desperate cries of, "I'm not a whore! Stop looking at me this way!"

Suddenly men after men keep coming forward, claiming the false nature of your sexual intimacies together. You deny and deny, but your words fall silent when his word vs. your word turns into your word vs. the world.

Looks become different, and you can hear the way your co-workers talk about you when they think you're not there.

So you pay them no mind and refuse to listen to the cattiness. However, you can't stop that voice in your head that keeps begging you, "Stop!" and, "I can't take this anymore!"

Don't get too into your head

Things keep happening and you're trying to not spiral, but this is something that has yet to challenge you yet.

The kitchen workers who usually would bring you candy and ask about your day suddenly look at you with a different pair of hungry eyes.

"Whore."

You feel uncomfortable in ways you can't describe.

The boy who slandered your name gets fired, and yet you feel no peace.

"Watch out, she's coming for all your jobs!" They say.

They joke at a time when jokes are hurtful. When you haven't even been able to begin processing your emotions.

You feel guilty that someone lost his job over a dispute. Despite the very real fact that he was the kick start to your downfall means nothing to you, and you can only focus on that feeling of sadness.

You look at yourself in the mirror differently. You dress differently. You say things differently.

You just keep hearing that word repeat and repeat itself.

"Whore."

You aren't a whore. You aren't easy. Even if you were, whose business is it? Who has the right to call you that?

"Whore."

Apparently you do, and apparently, you believe yourself. What does it matter that, before this, you were confident and beautiful and comfortable in your sexuality? All that matters is right now and what you haven't done, but what he said you definitely did do.

It's still a game of his word vs. your word, but the line is becoming increasingly blurred as you begin to listen to the things these people have to say about you. Not only listen but begin to believe.

"Whore."

Learn to grow

So you figure that, eventually, this will all blow over. Eventually, they all will apologize and see the error of their ways.

Eventually takes a while.

Countless HR meeting after HR meeting and the feelings are still there. You're vulnerable and feel a stab in your chest every single time those meetings get turned into jokes. Into a: "We all know this but we still have to read through the pamphlets," kind of assessment where no one learns of their wrongdoings.

You figured you overreacted, especially when your manager tells you, "Well we know for next time to not be quite as open with everyone as you were."

You figured that this really was all your fault. It would never have happened if you never did go outside and chain smoke, and bring people home, and blindly trust the people around you. This could have been prevented and it all starts with you.

So you learn to deal with it. Or you learn how not to deal with it.

Or you could just write an article about it.